Multiple unit writing instrument



March 6, 1962 c. ANDONOV MULTIPLE UNIT WRITING INSTRUMENT Filed July 27,1959 INV EN TOR United States Patent 9 3,023,735 MULTIPLE UNIT WRITINGINSTRUMENT Christ Andonov, 3560 Johnson St., Gary, Ind. Filed July 27,1959, Ser. No. 829,562 4 Claims. (Cl. 120-4213) The present inventionrelates to an improved writing instrument and is, more particularly,concerned with the provision of an extremely simple, yet highlyefiicient, multiple unit writing instrument in which one of severalwriting units may selectively be positioned for writing use.

I am, of course, aware that many multiple unit writing instruments havebeen disclosed in the prior art. However, an almost universalcharacteristic of these prior art multiple unit writing instruments havebeen disclosed in the prior art. However, an almost universalcharacteristic of these prior art multiple unit writing instruments iscomplexity. This complexity leads to diflicult service problems, makesthe writing instrument bulky, and even more important, has made theordinary prior art multiple unit writing instruments quite expensive.

In accordance with the present invention, the advantages of a writinginstrument having a plurality of selectively usable writing units areachieved in an extremely simple manner. Preferably, the individualwriting unit comprises a ball point pen type cartridge of generallyconventional configuration. A plurality of these units are reciprocablycarried by a cage member which is, in turn, positioned within agenerally hollow cylindrical housing of a shape commonly employed inwriting implements. The inside surface of the housing is tapered towardthe writing end of the instrument and the individual writing units arespring-biased in a direction away from the writing end of the instrumentby a simple spring co-operation between the individual unit and thesupporting cage. A selector member is reciprocably and rotatably mountedin the end of the writing instrument opposite from its writing end andmay be indexed by the operator to select an individual writing unit.Upon selection of such unit, the selector member is reciprocated in adirection toward the writing end of the instrument, carrying with it theselected writing unit. A simple latching device is provided forretaining the selector member and selected writing unit in the writingposition. By providing the tapered interior surface of the housing, nospecial guide means or other complicated structure is required inassociation with the cage member for controlling the movement of theindividual writing unit since the tapered surface automatically guidesthe selected writing unit out through the aperture at the writing end ofthe instrument.

Whereas in prior art mechanisms of the multiple unit type, a complexselector mechanism was required, in the present instance the selectorunit comprises a single part. Further, the latching mechanism preferablyemployed in the device of the present invention has no moving parts andoperates, at the same time, as an indicating means for identifying theparticular writing unit in use at any given time.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide asimple, yet highly eificient, multiple unit writing instrument.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multiple unitwriting instrument employing ball point pen units and permitting simpleindexing and selection of the individual units.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedand greatly simplified multiple unit selector mechanism and latchingdevice for selecting the writing unit desired and maintaining that unitin its operative writing position.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of 3,023,735Patented Mar. 6, 1962 ice 2 simple means for guiding a selected writingunit into operative writing condition.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a simple multiplewriting unit carrying cage capable of ready disassembly for replacementof writing units and at the same time designed to provide positioning ofthe respective units.

Yet other and further objects and features of the present invention will*at once become apparent to those skilled in the art from aconsideration of the attached drawings in which one embodiment of theinvention is illustrated by way of example only, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side-elevational view of the multiple unit writinginstrument of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of the writing instrument takengenerally along the line II-I-I of FIG- URE 1;

FlGURE 3 is a side-elevational view of the cage and writing unitconstruction provided in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a cross'sectional view of the assembled mechanism takenalong the line IV-IV of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is an end-elevational view of the multiple unit writinginstrument of the present invention in one indexed position.

As shown on the drawings:

As may be seen from a consideration of the figures, the multiple unitwriting instrument generally indicated at 10 comprises a main housingformed by body portion 11 and cap portion 12. The body portion of thehousing is provided with an end 13 having a small aperture 14 therein.As shown in FIGURE 2, a plurality of writing units 15 are mounted withinthe housing and are slidably mounted in a cage 16.

As is clearly shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, the cage 16 is provided witha plurality of generally radial slots 17 in the end wall 18 facingtoward the apertured end 13 of the housing. These slots 17 have a widthslightly larger than the diameter of the writing units 15 back and forththerethrough without restriction. The cage 16 is provided with relievedcavity portions 26 behind each of the slots 17, as indicated in FIGURES2, 3 and 4. This enlargement permits the seating of a compression spring21 around each of the writing units 15. Each of the springs 21 is of adiameter greater than the slot 17 so that it is trapped behind the endwall 18 in its respective cavity 20.

Each of the writing units 15 is provided, at its end opposite thewriting end, with a collar 25. In assembly of the device, the spring 21is slid along the individual writing unit 15 from its writing end untilit abuts against the respective collar 25. The spring 21 is thencompressed and the individual writing unit, with the spring therein, isfitted radially into the cage 16 in the position shown in FIGURE 3.

The cage 16 is provided with openings 26 in the end wall 27 thereof. Theopenings 26 are axially aligned with the slots 17 and permit the passageof a selector mechanism for engagement with individual writing units 15.The selector mechanism is generally indicated at 30 and comprises aneccentrically positioned selector finger 31 carried by a shaft 32. Theshaft 32 is reciprocably slidably mounted in an aperture 33 in thehousing cap portion 12 and is mildly biased toward the aperture end 13by a weak spring 34. The purpose of the spring 34 is to prevent rattlingand accordingly the spring 34 is much weaker than the springs 21. Theshaft 32 is provided with a notch 35 forming a latching ledge 36 whichco-operates with the edge of the aperture 33 when the selector 30 istilted transversely after being reciprocated downwardly, as viewed inFIGURE 2, to depress a writing unit 15 into operative position with itswriting end a passing out through the aperture 14. By releasing thelatching surface 36 from the edge of the aperture 33 and pullingupwardly on the shaft 32 on the eccentric member 31 may be rotated toengage any selected one of the openings 26.

In order to simplify the selection of individual writing units 1 5, theselector is preferably provided with an arrow-shaped surface 37 and thecap portion 12 provided with indicia numbers or letters, such as R, G,B, as indicated in FIGURE 5, suggesting, for example, red, green andblue. The cage 16 is preferably secured in the cap portion 12, such as,for example, by fixed abutment 40 sliding in slot 41 so that the indiciaR, G, B retain their positions relative to the cage 16 and relative tothe individual writing units 15. The cage is positioned against axialmovement, for example, by abutment 42 in the cap 12 and abutment 43 atthe end of the body portion 11. This permits ready disassembly of thecage 16 from the cap portion 12 to thereby permit ready disassembly andreassembly of the writing instrument with new writing units 15. It willbe noted that in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the units15 comprise ball point pen units. It is contemplated, however, thatother writing units may be employed, if desired.

It will, accordingly, be seen that I have provided an extremely simplemultiple unit writing instrument having an absolute minimum number ofparts and yet retaining all of the advantages of selectivity afforded bymultiple unit type writing instruments. It will be apparent thatvariations may be made in the structure illustrated without departingfrom the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention, andaccordingly, it is my intention that the scope of the present inventionbe limited solely by that of the hereinafter appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination in a multiple unit writing instrument, a hollowhousing having a generally pointed end with an aperture therein, a cageassembly, means securing said cage assembly in said housing, a pluralityof generally cylindrical Writing units mounted in said cage forselective reciprocation in individual compartments therein, said cagehaving an end wall facing said aperture with the outer periphery thereofclosely fitting said housing, said end wall having a plurality ofgenerally radial slots therein each extending to the periphery of saidcage and having a width permitting longitudinal passage of a writingunit and lateral assembly therewith prior to a sembly of said cage intosaid housing, a collar carried by each said Writing unit at a pointthereof on the side of said end wall remote from said aperture, saidcage having a second end Wall spaced from said first end wall andpositioned on the side thereof remote from said aperture, said secondend wall having guide apertures there- !through respectively alignedwith the individual writing units and smaller than the respectivecollars, compression spring means between said collar and said end wallfor biasing each said unit away from said aperture and resilientlyurging said collar of each said unit against the second end wall,reciprocal selector means having an abutment thereon selectivelyengageable with one only of said units through a respective guideaperture in said second end wall to project said unit through saidaperture into writing position against said spring means, and latchmeans on said housing for retaining said selector in position to holdsaid unit in writing position in which it projects from said aperture.

2. In combination in a multiple unit writing instrument, a hollowhousing having a generally pointed end with an aperture therein, a cageassembly, means securing said cage assembly in said housing, a pluralityof gen- .erally cylindrical writing units mounted in said cage forselective reciprocation in individual compartments therein, .said cagehaving an .end wall facing said aperture with the outer peripherythereof closely fitting said housing, said end wall having a pluralityof generally radial slots therein each extending to the periphery ofsaid cage and having a width permitting longitudinal passage of awriting unit and lateral assembly therewith prior to assembly of saidcage into said housing, a collar carried by each said writing unit at apoint thereof on the side of said end wall remote from said aperture,said cage having a second end wall spaced from said first end wall andpositioned on the side thereof remote from said aperture, said secondend wall having guide apertures therethrough respectively aligned withthe individual writing units and smaller than the respective collars,compression spring means between said collar and said end Wall forbiasing each said unit away from said aperture and resiliently urgingsaid collar of each said unit against the second end wall, reciprocalselector means having an abutment there on selectively engageable withone only of said units through a respective guide aperture in saidsecond end wall to project said unit through said aperture into writingposition against said spring means, latch means on said housing forretaining said selector in position to hold said unit in writingposition in which it projects from said aperture, and retaining meanspositively locking said cage against rotation relative to said housingand against reciprocation therein.

3. In combination in a multiple unit writing instrument, a hollowhousing having a generally pointed end with an aperture therein, a cageassembly, means securing said cage assembly in said housing, a pluralityof generally cylindrical writing'units mounted in said cage forselective reciprocation in individual compartments therein, said cagehaving an end wall facing said aperture with the outer periphery thereofclosely fitting said housing, said end wall having a plurality ofgenerally radial slots therein each extending to the periphery of saidcage and having a width permitting longitudinal passage of a Writingunit and lateral assembly therewith prior to as sembly of said cage intosaid housing, a collar carried by each said writing unit at a pointthereof on the side of said end Wall remote from said aperture, saidcage having a second end wall spaced from said first end wall andpositioned on the side thereof remote from said aperture, said secondend wall having guide apertures therethrough respectively aligned withthe individual writing units and smaller than the respective collars,compression spring means between said collar and said end wall forbiasing each said unit away from said aperture and resiliently urgingsaid collar of each said unit against the second end wall, reciprocalselector means having an abutment thereon selectively engageable withone only of said units through a respective guide aperture in saidsecond end wall to project said unit through said aperture into Writingposition against said spring means, and latch means on said housing forretaining said selector in position to hold said unit in writingposition in which it projects from said aperture, the inside of saidhousing tapering toward said aperture whereby the ends of respectivewriting units are deflected through said aperture when the respectiveunits are reciprocated by said selector means toward said aperture.

4. In combination in a multiple unit writing instrument, a hollowhousing having a generally pointed end with an aperture therein, a cageassembly, means securing said cage assembly in said housing, a pluralityof generally cylindrical writing units mounted in said cage forselective reciprocation in individual compartments therein, said cagehaving an end wall'facing said aperture with the outer periphery thereofclosely fitting said housing, said end wall having a plurality ofgenerallyradial slots therein each extending to the periphery of saidcage and having a width permitting longitudinal passage of a writingunit and lateral assembly therewith prior to assembly of said cage intosaid housing, a collar carried by each said writing unit at a pointthereof on the side of said end wall remote from said aperture, saidcage having a second end wall spaced from said first end wall andpositioned on the side thereof remote from said aperture, said secondend wall having guide apertures therethrough respectively aligned withthe individual Writing units and smaller than the respective collars,compression spring means between said collar and said end wall forbiasing each said unit away from said aperture and resiliently urgingsaid collar of each said unit against the second end wall, reciprocalselector means having an abutment thereon selectively engageable withone only of said units through a respective guide aperture in saidsecond end wall to project said unit through said aperture into writingposition against said spring means, and latch means on said housing forretaining said selector in position to hold said unit in writingposition in which it projects from said aperture, said latch meanscomprising a 15 notch in said selector and a co-operating abutment edgeon said housing positioned for co-operative engagement when saidselector is reciprocated into position extending a selected writing unitinto writing position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS MeierMar. 14, 1944 Morris Nov. 29, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 809,390 Germany July30, 1951 817,412 Germany Oct. 18, 1951 753,184 Germany Oct. 6, 1952

